


I Will Follow You Into the Dark

by antigone2071



Series: Damaged People [5]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, I'm Sorry, i'm so very sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 14:29:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6379894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigone2071/pseuds/antigone2071
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl and Byrdie find forever.<br/>Takes place over the second half of season six.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song of the same name by Death Cab for Cutie. Lyrics are in the end notes if you are unfamiliar with the song.

Daryl was tired.

His shoulder hurt. His arm hurt. The road seemed like it would never end. And all he wanted was to get home to his girl. And then maybe sleep.

It was dark now. It had been nearly three days since he kissed her goodbye, saying it was just a dry run and he promised to be careful. He knew she had to be worried. He was worried. He had no idea what had been happening in Alexandria, but his imagination was more than happy to provide scenarios. He had to believe she was safe. It was the only way he could do what he needed without breaking down.

As they rolled up outside the gates of the community it was obvious at least half, if not more, of the horde had found their way back to Alexandria. Abraham and Sasha scaled the walls, peering over. 

"They're inside." Sasha yelled back to Daryl, still behind the wheel of the tanker, before the two opened fire on the undead within their walls. 

"The hell happened?" Daryl asked as Glenn jumped in the cab, taking shot gun.  
"Don't know. Just got back." He answered. "We can lead some away with the truck."  
"Don' have to." Daryl said, banging on the roof with his fist.

************************************************************

Daryl stood on top of the tanker watching the lake burn. The heat and light drawing the undead to a burning, watery, final death. Around him he could still hear the sickening slice of metal through flesh as the others continued their assault. 

Suddenly it was quite. The only sound the crack and pop of the flames before him as the sun climbed over the horizon. 

"Daryl!" Carol called up to him.  
"It's Byrdie." She said when he looked over.

Before he could process anything else, Daryl found his feet on the pavement. Running hard toward the medical house.

"Where is she?" He shouted at the room, bursting through the door.

Aaron took him upstairs where she lay unconscious in a bedroom. Daryl's hands flew over her small body. Desperately looking for what was wrong and what was alright. He dropped to his knees beside her when he found the large incision across her abdomen. Closing his eyes, he placed his head on her belly, large hands holding her small frame.

"She's going to be alright." Aaron said.  
"Wha' happened? " Daryl asked, not moving from his position.  
"I don't know completely. Carol said one of the men who attacked the community gashed her with a large blade." He answered. "Carol got me, and I brought her here. Denise saved her, but she lost a lot of blood."  
"She ain' wakin' up." Daryl said after a moment.  
"She will. Her body needs to heal, replace the lost blood. Then she'll wake up. She'll be alright." Aaron assured. 

Daryl was quiet. Unmoving except for where his thumb ran across her skin. 

"I'll send Denise up." Aaron said, excusing himself. 

A couple minutes later Denise walked in the room and over to Daryl. There was fresh blood staining the wings of his vest, and dried blood caked on his arm. 

"I need to fix you up." She said in greeting.  
"If ya can do it from 'ere go a'ead. But I ain' movin'" Daryl replied.  
"Alright." Denise said.  
"Take your shirt off." She told him, placing several things on the bed and a bowl of water on the floor. Aaron had already told her he most likely wouldn't be moving. 

Daryl shucked his vest and shirt as Denise pulled a chair over to the bed. Her breath caught as she saw his back for the first time. 

"Thought ya was a doctor? Ain't never seen a scar before?" Daryl said.  
"Sorry." Denise apologized.  
"I'll need you to at least sit in the chair." She said.

Daryl complied, pulling it closer to Byrdie's bedside before sitting down. He was silent as Denise cleaned his arm and stitched his wounds. She handed him a glass of water and a dose of antibiotics, commanding him to take them before she left.

"She'll be alright?" Daryl asked, as she walked out of the door.  
"She'll be alright." Denise confirmed.

Daryl crawled on the bed beside her, wrapping his arms gently around her body. 

"Ya gotta wake up, Byrd. I need ya." He said, kissing her temple.

He stared at her for a few minutes, just watching her breathe, until exhaustion took over and he fell asleep next to her. 

************************************************************

There was pain. 

Dull pain in her head. Sharp pain in her side. Aching pain over the rest of her body. 

She didn't know where she was. Her mouth was dry. There was a foreign weight across her chest.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

More pain as sharp white light filled her vision. She closed her eyes.

She took another deep breath. Cracked her eyes this time. Let them adjust to the brightness before slowly opening the rest of the way.

She still didn't know where she was. She was in a bed. The weight across her chest was an arm. Not her arm.

Something moved next to her.

She turned her head. More pain. Dizzying this time. She closed her eyes. 

When the spinning stopped she opened her eyes again. 

She smiled at what she saw. Daryl.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open. Had she said his name out loud?

His hands were on her face. He was kissing her. He was telling her she was ok. She wasn't certain.

"What happened?" She asked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys. I've been in/out of hospital for a while now. Finally getting back to normal again though and picking my stories back up.

Daryl's eyes drift open as the smell of chocolate hits him.

Byrdie is not laying next to him, and he smiles knowing the fragrant smell is coming from something she is making in the kitchen. He quickly dresses and makes his way downstairs. Finding her dancing in the kitchen as she bakes chocolate cookies. Daryl sneaks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and stealing a kiss when she turns to look at him. 

"Good morning." She says, breaking the kiss.  
"Mornin' beautiful." He replies. "You comin' with us?"  
"On the run? With you and Rick? Again?" Byrdie asks.  
"Yeah." He answers. "I'd like ya to. Feel better knowin' yur safe with me."  
"Daryl. I'm fine. Really. You don't have to cart me around like a child." She says, going back to her baking.  
"Ain't about that. I jus' get nervous not knowin' where ya are." He says.

Daryl spins her around to look him in the eye and laces his fingers together behind her back.

"Please?" He asks.  
"Alright." Byrdie concedes, standing on her toes to give him a kiss.

*****************************************************

Byrdie was sitting in the back seat of the black Chrysler 300, her legs stretched across the seat and head resting on the window when Eugene stopped the trio at the gate. Leaning in the passenger window he gave a quick speech on the merits of sorghum before they headed off. 

After leaving the gates, Rick quickly reached to placed a CD in the stereo.

"Don't." Daryl said. "Don't."  
"Please don't?" Byrdie implored.  
But he listened to neither.  
Byrdie gently kicked his shoulder as the music started up, Daryl huffing and looking out the window as Rick sang along.

*****************************************************

They rolled to a stop in front of a large red barn reading Sorghum in bold black type across the door. Byrdie got out of the car and headed to the front of the building while the guys stayed at the loading door.

"Be careful." Daryl called to her.  
"Just checking the front." She shouted back, opening a small door as she heard the loading door swing open.

There wasn't much of anything to find. Just an empty desk and an old ratty chair. Byrdie left and walked back to where the guys stood. Looking inside at the haul they found she was amazed.

"Woah!" She said.  
"We'll take the truck. Grab our gear and get the car back later." Rick said.  
"Couldn't two of us take the truck, and the other follow in the car." Byrdie suggests.  
"Naw. Best we stay together. Don't know who knows about this truck." Rick says.

Daryl gets the truck started and Rick climbs in the driver's seat. Byrdie climbs up to see its a two person cab with bucket seats, a center console, and a small man door leading from the cab to the trailer. Daryl climbs up behind her sitting down and pulling her in his lap. 

"This works." He says, stealing another kiss as he shuts the door.

Rick chuckles to himself as he backs the truck up and onto the road.

*****************************************************

They come across a gas station a few miles down the road and Rick pulls to a stop in the parking lot. 

"Stay in the truck, while we check it out." Daryl tells her.  
"Alright." She consents. Not wanting to actually be out here she's fine resting while they do the dirty work. 

Rick comes back a moment later to turn the truck around. Explaining they want to check out a vending machine on its side. A moment after he gets back out, the vending machine having been pulled over, Byrdie hears Daryl shout. Quickly followed by Rick. She peaks in the rearview mirror to see a masked man in a trench coat with his hands up. Daryl and Rick with their guns trained on him. After she hears what sounds like several far off shots she crawls through the man door to hide until the threat passes. But before it can the strange man is stealing the truck.

*****************************************************

Byrdie slowly opens the man door after they've driven for a while.

"Are you armed?" She asked.  
"Shit!" The man exclaims, slamming on the breaks.

When the truck comes to a stop she crawls out and takes the passenger seat. 

"They know I'm on the truck. They're following you, I guarantee it. If you hurt me, Daryl will kill you." She says as she gets comfortable.  
"I'm not gonna hurt you." The man replies. "I just need the supplies."  
"So do we." She says.  
"I'm Jesus." He says after restarting the truck.  
"Byrdie."  
"We have more people. Not just the three of us. If you stop the truck and turn around, Rick may let you join us." Byrdie says.  
"Thanks. But I have people too. It's my job to provide for them." Jesus says. "But we trade with other groups. Maybe we could all help each other out?" 

Just as Byrdie is about to reply a tire blows. Effectively stopping anyone from getting the truck. Jesus shuts the vehicle off and gets out to repair the tire. Byrdie following him and resting on the trailer bumper.

*****************************************************

Daryl and Rick catch up just as Jesus finishes with the tire.

The three go at it until Jesus is in the dirt, Rick and Daryl with their guns trained on him.

"Guys, stop!" Byrdie shouts.  
"Do you actually have ammo?" Jesus asks.

They answer by taking out a nearby walker.

"Alright. You're gonna shoot me for a truck?" Jesus asked.  
"No." Byrdie said, before either of the guys could answer.  
"They're not." She finished, putting her hands on each of their forearms to lower their weapons.  
"There's a lot of food on that truck." Rick said, both to Byrdie and Jesus.  
"Give me the keys." He demanded of Jesus.

Once Jesus handed the keys over Rick set about tying him up. 

"He's not a bad person, Daryl." Byrdie said as Daryl went through his pack.  
"We need the food." Was all he answered.  
"So does he. He has a group too. We could work together." She said. 

"Maybe we could talk?" Jesus asked as Rick finished tying him up.  
" Na." Daryl said, throwing a can of orange crush at him."In case ya get thirsty."

Back in the cab Daryl put Byrdie back in his lap.

"Ya ok?" He asked.  
"Yeah. I'm fine. He's not a bad guy." She replied.  
Daryl leans in for a quick kiss, but Byrdie denies him. Calling him an ass when a questioning look crosses his face.

*****************************************************

Rick spots another barn on the way back to Alexandria and drives into the field to check it out. As the truck transitions from pavement to grass there is a thudding sound coming from the roof of the cab. 

"The son of a bitch is on the roof." Daryl says as it dawns on him where the sound is coming from.

Rick slams on the breaks, effectively launching Jesus from the top of the truck and into the grass in front of them. He goes to take off and Daryl climbs out of the truck to chase him.

"Daryl!" Rick yells.  
"Daryl, Don't!" Byrdie shouts at the same time. 

Daryl doesn't listen. Jumping out of the truck and taking off after Jesus. 

Rick brings the truck to a full stop. He gets outs to help, but Daryl waves him off to take care of a group of undead lurking nearby. Byrdie stays in the truck, shouting for Daryl to stop. 

Daryl eventually chases Jesus back over to the truck. He climbs in, pushing Byrdie back into the passenger door and scrambles to get Daryl's gun. When Jesus frees the weapon he aims it directly at Daryl's head.

"Duck." Jesus says.

With Daryl's compliance Jesus shoots a walker coming up from behind. Daryl reaches back in the truck and takes his gun back. Grabbing Jesus he pulls him from the cab. In the struggle the break is freed and the truck begins to roll backwards toward a small lake Rick parked in front of. All three scramble to get out of the cab, Jesus getting run over by the front tire in the process. 

Rick, Daryl, and Byrdie watch as the truck sinks below the waters surface.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asks Byrdie as he pulls her into his side.  
She only nods in reply.  
"Law of averages. Bullshit." Daryl says, half to Rick and half to himself.  
"What about the guy?" Rick asks.  
"What about him?" Daryl replies.  
"He's good. He helped you, didn't he? Never tried to hurt you?" Byrdie said.  
"We'll put him up a tree." Daryl responds.  
"We take him with us." Byrdie says matter of factly. 

The three find a running car in the field and load an unconscious Jesus into the backseat. Daryl climbs in next to him. Rick driving and Byrdie taking the passenger seat. They make the drive home in silence. 

*****************************************************

Daryl was sitting in bed watching Byrdie braid her hair up for the night. 

They had left Jesus in the hands of Denise. It wasn't Daryl or Ricks first choice, but Byrdie had convinced them he needed to be watched over by a doctor. Just to make sure there was nothing serious going on. 

When she crawled in bed next to him he laid down and pulled her over to rest on his chest. 

"Ya sure you're ok?" Daryl asked.  
"Yes. I'm fine." She said.  
"Yur mad at me." He said without question.  
"No. I just wish you had listened to him. We had a little chat in the truck. He's really not a bad guy, just looking for food for his group. He said they trade with others and maybe we could start something with them too." Byrdie explained.  
"Rick and I will talk to him in the mornin'" Daryl said.  
"Thank you." Byrdie said, reaching up to kiss him.

Daryl deepened the kiss, invading her mouth with his tongue and pulling her tightly to his body. When she responded he rolled them over so she was on her back and began trailing kisses down her chest, his fingers finding their way into her heated core. 

When they finally fell asleep, they were both sweaty and sated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for beint patient with this one. I know these last couple chapters have been really cannon, but I had to get some story telling out of the way. Its going to be more Daryl and Byrdie after this one. I hope you enjoy.

Abraham was walking patrol past the medical house when Denise came running out.

“He’s gone!” She shouted.  
“Who?” Abraham asked.  
“A guy. Daryl and Rick brought him back from their run earlier. Said he was hurt and possibly dangerous. I only left the room for a second and he was gone.” Denise replied.

The pair took off in separate directions, hoping to find the man before he could cause any trouble. 

With Daryl awake, and Maggie and Glenn helping, it was quickly determined Jesus was in Rick’s house. Daryl led the group up the stairs to find the man in question sitting in the hallway, Carl behind him with a pistol pointed at his head. Rick and Michonne coming down the hallway in states of undress.

Everyone stood in silence a moment before Rick spoke up.

“You said we needed to talk. Let’s talk.”

Daryl stepped forward, grabbing Jesus by the arm and hauling him downstairs. He unceremoniously sat him down in one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. Denise placed a chocolate cookie and a glass of water in front of him. As Jesus picked up the cookie and took a bite Daryl shot her a cold, questioning glare.

“You said take care of him. He probably has a concussion. He needs food.” She answered.

Daryl huffed in response as the rest of the group sat down around the table. 

“How’d ya get out?” Rick asked before anyone else could open their mouths.  
“There was only one guard. She couldn’t cover both exits.” Jesus replied. “Knots untie, windows open. I checked out your arsenal and pantry. I haven’t seen anyone equipped like that in a long time. But your provisions are running low. Too low for this many people. I’m guessing around 50?”  
“More than that.” Maggie supplied.  
“Anyway. I appreciate the cookie, give my compliments to the chef.” Jesus said.  
“Ya, she ain’t here.” Daryl said from behind him. Not trying to hide the derision in his voice.  
“I know we got off on a bad start.” Jesus said turning to face him. “But we’re on the same side here.”  
“You and Rick.” He said, looking over to the other man. “You both had every reason to leave me out there, but you didn’t. I’m from a settlement like this. My job is to find other groups to trade with. I’m sorry about the truck, but I took it because my community needs things, and the two of you looked like trouble. I’m glad I was wrong. This is a good place, good people. I think we could help each other.” He finished.  
“Do you have food?” Glenn asked when Jesus finished.  
“We have livestock, scavenge, grow.” He answered.  
“Why should we believe you?” Rick asked.  
“Don’t. Let me show you. I can have you at my settlement in a day, show you who we are.” Jesus said.  
“You said you’re looking for more settlements?” Maggie said. “As in you’re already trading with other groups.”  
“Your world is about to get a hole lot bigger.” Jesus said with a small smile. 

With that Daryl walked out of the kitchen looking pointedly at Rick, Michonne, and Glenn as he did. The three of them followed him wanting to know what was on the hardened mans mind.

“Do you really trust him?” Daryl asks as soon as they are out of earshot of the others and Jesus.  
“Not a chance in hell.” Rick responds.  
“I think we should at least check the place out. See if he’s telling the truth. If he is, this could be good for us.” Michonne adds.  
“She’s right. He was loose around here for how long? Snuck up on you two. If he wanted to kill us he would have by now. He’s done nothing but offer us help.” Glenn provided.  
“He stole our truck, with Byrd inside.” Daryl said.  
“Did he know she was in there? And he already said he thought you two were alone and trouble.” Michonne said.  
“If we do this.” Rick said. “If. We take our RV. We take weapons. We make sure we can defend ourselves when something happens.”  
“If something happens.” Michonne corrects.  
“Have Denise take Jesus back to the medical house.” Rick tells Daryl. “We’ll talk to the others.”

********************************************************

Daryl was checking out the engine on the RV, making sure it could handle the trip, when Denise walked up behind him.

“Here take this. Oatcake. Complex carbohydrates, Omega 3’s” She said to get his attention.  
“Naw, I’m good.” He answered. “We’ll make a pit stop. I’ll pick up something then.”  
“Like Rabies?” Denise asked.

Byrdie laughed, from where she was perched on the front bumper watching the exchange.

“This cause I tried to get you that soda?” Daryl asked.  
“Yeah. And cause you remind of someone.” Denise answered.  
“Thank you, Denise.” Byrdie said, taking the oatcake, “Daryl is grateful. Aren’t you?”  
“Hope it tastes better than it looks, cause it looks like shit.” Daryl said.  
“Shit’s still better than road kill.” Denise said walking away, making Daryl chuckle a little.

“Let’s load up, hit the pavement.” Abraham shouted.

Daryl slammed the hood of the RV down and wiped his hands off, following Byrdie onto the RV. He sat down on one of the benches and scooted around to be able to see out the window, keep an eye on things. Byrdie sat between his legs and he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her into his chest. He gave Jesus a cold stare and kissed her soundly on the top of her head, letting the stranger know he had almost taken something important from him. 

A short while into the trip Rick began to slow the RV and Daryl pulled the blinds apart to get a better look.

“What’s goin on?” He asked.  
“There’s a crash ahead.” Rick answered, pulling the RV to a stop in front of the wreckage. “Looks recent.”  
“That’s ours.” Jesus said in a slight panic and ran off the RV.

The rest of the group slowly filed out of the RV and got a look at the crash in front of them. Two cars toppled over and several dead trapped underneath groaning and thrashing. It was hard to tell if they caused the accident or died in it.

Rick made his way around the wreckage and found Jesus.  
“This had better not be a trick” He said, leveling his weapon at the other man’s head. “If it is, it won’t end well for you.”  
“I know how this looks. But my people are in trouble.” Jesus said, panic lacing his words. “They don’t . . . we don’t have a lot of fighters. I’ll handle this though. May I borrow a gun?”  
“Naw. There’s tracks leading this way.” Daryl said, making his way from the wreckage and over to the front office of an abandoned warehouse. 

Rick pounded several times on the glass office door listening for signs of the living, or the dead as it may be.

“They have to be in there.” Jesus said, the panic rising in his word again.  
“We goin’ in?” Abraham asked.  
“How do we know this ain’t firecrackers in a trash can?” Daryl asked making his way toward Rick.  
“You don’t.” Jesus snapped.  
“We’ll get your people.” Rick conceded, “But you’re staying out here with ours. That’s the deal”  
“We’ll watch him.” Maggie said indicating Byrdie standing next to her.  
“Alright.” Rick agreed, taking the cuffs from his belt and locking Jesus’ hands behind his back. “I whistle. Shoot him.” 

Maggie stood back with her gun trained on Jesus. Byrdie stood slightly to the man’s side, her hand on her knife in case he tried anything. Jesus stared ahead, waiting for his people. 

It seemed like hours they waited, but was most likely only a few minutes. Rick and Michonne walked out first. Followed by four strangers. Abraham and Glenn behind them. Daryl bringing up the rear as usual.

********************************************************

The next several hours of the trip were made in relative peace. There was some talk between Rick and Jesus’ people. Daryl sat in silence, staring out the window. Byrdie asleep in his lap.

The RV suddenly lurched forward, waking Byrdie in the process. The tires spun for a minute before Rick let off the gas.

“There must have been a storm. We’re stuck.” Rick said.  
“Don’t worry.” Jesus said, getting up to look out the windshield. “We’re here.”

He opened the door and walked around to the front of the RV, staring at a large wooden fence. 

“That’s us. Hill Top.” Jesus said with a smile. 

He lead the group up a muddy path to the front gate of the settlement. As they walked through there was a large century home in the center of the complex. It’s surrounded by trailers on one side, and wooden structures on the other. Jesus was explaining the history of the house he referred to as Barrington, but Byrdie was curiously studying the wooden structures which seemed to house tanners and smiths.

Jesus took the group inside, the house seeming much to ornate to house a post apocalyptic settlement. Jesus was explaining the layout of the house. How most of it was living space now, when a set of double doors opened and a man in a suit of all things walked out. 

“Jesus.” He said, almost happily. “You’re back. And you’ve brought guests.”  
“This a Gregory.” Jesus introduced. “He keeps things on track around here.”  
“Guess you could say I’m the boss.” Gregory said.  
“I’m Rick, We have a community . . .” Rick started before Gregory cut him off.  
“Why don’t you all go get cleaned up. Jesus can show you where. Then we can all talk.”  
“We’re fine.” Rick replied, his patience for the man wearing thin.  
“It’s just . . . it’s hard to keep things clean around here.” Gregory said, a false smile on his face.  
“Alright.” Rick conceded. 

The group followed Jesus upstairs and were shown two bathrooms off a hallway they could wash up in. Rick turned to Maggie. 

“You clean up first and go talk to him. You need to start doing this, you’re more diplomatic than me. And I shouldn’t” He said, before taking a seat in one of the chairs along the wall.

After Maggie finished washing and went downstairs again Rick and Michonne wondered into the larger wash room to clean up. Byrdie following suit and going into the smaller one. Daryl watched the door close behind her and walked up to the one of the large windows looking out at the settlement.

“How long do you think Rick and Michonne been bumpin uglies?” He heard Abraham ask from across the room.  
“Don’ know. Why?” Daryl asked.  
“Just curious. You ever think of settling down?” Abraham asked.  
“Do you think she’d settle?’ Daryl asked. Both of them unsure if he meant Michonne, Rosita, or Byrdie. But still the idea lingered in his brain for longer than he was comfortable with.

While Maggie was talking to Gregory, Rick and Daryl struck up a trade conversation with Jesus.

“We want to trade, we really do. But ammo isn’t something we currently need.” Jesus said.  
“Why’s that?” Rick asked.  
“The walls hold.” Jesus replied, “But we need other things.”  
“Yeah, so de we.” Daryl said, his patience wearing thin with negotiations.  
“We need food.” Rick said. “We came this far, we’re gonna get it.” The threat in words not needing to be spoken.  
“I will make him understand that.” Jesus said.

They heard shouting coming from outside the house. Gregory left his office and walked out front, Jesus and Rick’s group following. They saw two men and a woman walking through the front gates.

“Ethan. Where is everybody?” Gregory asked. “Tim, Marsha?”  
“Dead.” Was the cold reply of who they assumed was Ethan.  
“Negan?” Gregory asked.  
“Yeah.”  
“We had a deal.” Gregory asked, confused.  
“They said it wasn’t enough. The drop was light.” The man behind him said.  
“They still have Craig.” The woman said.  
“They said they’d return him alive if I delivered a message to you?” Ethan said, stepping in close to Gregory.  
“What is it?” Gregory asked.

Ethan plunged a knife deep in Gregory’s gut. Before anyone could do anything else Rick tackled this newest stranger to ground while Jesus and Byrdie helped sit Gregory down. There was a fluster of chaos as Rick, Daryl, Abraham, and Michonne subdued the three newcomers. But Ethan got the upper hand on Rick and pinned him to the ground with a knife to his throat. 

“Anyone who stops this is killing my brother.” Ethan shouted.  
“Drop It.” The command came from Michonne.

As Ethan looked back to the dangerous woman Rick plunged his own blade into his attacker’s jugular. Jesus quickly calmed the following chaos without anymore injuries or fatalities and Byrdie helped the resident doctor move Gregory into the house to tend to his wound.

********************************************************

Byrdie followed Jesus through a pair of double doors and into the small room where the rest of he group had been sent to wait. She quickly made her way over to Daryl fussing over him a little.

“’m fine.” He said reassuringly.  
“Dr. Carson was able to fix Gregory up. He’s in pain, but he’ll live.” Jesus said, making himself comfortable by leaning against an old curio. “These things don’t normally happen around here.”  
“We heard the name Negan.” Rick said. “Daryl and Abraham had a run in with some of his men awhile back. Who is he?”  
“Negan is the head of a group called the Saviors.” Jesus explained. “As soon as the walls were up the Saviors showed up. They made a lot of demands, even more threats. Beat a sixteen year old kid to death, Rory, to teach us a lesson. Gregory made a deal with them. They get half of everything we have. Everything. And in exchange, they don’t kill us.”  
“Why don’t you just kill them?” Daryl asked.  
“Most of the people here don’t know how to fight. Even if we had ammo.” Jesus answered.  
“Well how many people does this Negan have?” Rick asked.  
“We don’t know. We’ve seen as many as twenty.”  
“Hold up. They show up, they kill a kid, and you just give ‘em half of everything.” Daryl said. “These dicks just got a good story, the boogieman ain’t shit.”  
“How do you know?” Jesus asked.  
“’Bout a month back, we took a group of ‘em out. Just three of us. Left ‘em in pieces.” Abraham said.  
“If we find this Negan. Take out him and his boys, we’ll you hook us up. Food, medicine, all of it?” Daryl asked.  
“I’ll take it to Gregory.” Jesus said, walking from the room. Maggie following him to speak on behalf of their group.

********************************************************

Maggie made the deal and they loaded up the RV with food and medicine. 

“I don’t like this Daryl.” Byrdie said, taking his hand on the ride back to Alexandria. “It’s not right. There has be another way.”  
“Naw, we can do this. We have to.” Daryl replied.  
“I can’t help but to feel like we’re going to loose something in this.” She said, resting her head on his chest.

As she did Michonne passed a picture from Maggie’s ultrasound over to Daryl. He showed her, delighting in the small smile that played across her lips. When she took the picture from his hands though he couldn’t help but to notice a flicker of pain in her features.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one guys. Thanks for being patient. It's pretty much entirely from Byrdie's POV.

After they returned from Hill Top, Rick had gathered everyone in the chapel. Well, not everyone, but everyone worthy of making decisions around this place. He was rehashing everything which went down in Hill Top. Painting a picture of unconscionable men who only want to kill for the sake of killing. Spinning everything he knew about the Saviors to make them seem like the worst kind of people in existence. When in reality they were most likely just people. People who were just trying to survive. Granted, they were going about things in an awful way, but that didn’t make them monsters did it? Byrdie was really hoping someone, anyone, would agree with her just a little bit on this. 

Morgan stood up in the back, and everyone turned around to look at him. 

“You sure we can do this?” Morgan asked.

He and Rick started a back and forth about giving the Saviors a chance to change. Byrdie found herself agreeing with Morgan’s side more so than Rick. She made to stand up, let her feelings be known. But Daryl whipped around, put a hand on her knee and glared at her. She huffed and turned away from his gaze. 

**************************************************

Byrdie was sitting on the back porch of their shared house when Daryl came out and sat down beside her.

“We haveta do this. Ya know that right?” He asked.  
“No. We don’t.” She replied.   
“It was the deal, Byrd. We take care of the Saviors, we get food.”   
“I was there. I know the deal.” She said, turning to look at him. “But there has to be another way. Doing it like this. Going in on the offensive. It’s too risky. You have to see that. Rick has to see that.”   
“It gives us the advantage, Byrd. We get in, take care a things, get out.” Daryl said.  
“And you really think that’s how it’s going to work. You really think people like this don’t have watchers?”   
“Course they do, Byrd. That’s why we can’t talk to ‘em first. Why we gotta just strike.” He answered.  
“There has to be a way. A way to show them our strength without compromising this place or Hill Top. A way to give them a choice. A way to be defending ourselves instead of attacking?” Byrdie asked, more to herself than anything.   
“But there isn’t.” Daryl answered.  
“There is. You just aren’t willing to step back for a minute to find it.” Byrdie said, looking away from him again. 

Daryl stood up and leaned down to kiss her gently on the top her head before walking back inside.

“I just don’t want to loose you.” She said as he pulled the door open.  
“Ain’t gonna loose me, Byrd.”   
“I’m going with you. This is not a discussion.” She said.

Daryl didn’t answer, but she knew he heard her. There was too long of a pause before he walked back in and shut the door behind him for him to not have heard her.

**************************************************

Byrdie was sitting in the RV with Maggie keeping watch. Neither of them had been talking. It just seemed like there was nothing to be said when you knew the rest of your group were attacking a compound and killing everyone inside unprovoked. 

Was it taking too long? How long was something like this supposed to take? 

Byrdie was beginning to worry for Daryl. Well, for everyone, but Daryl mostly if she was honest with herself. From the look on Maggie’s face she was worried about Glenn as well.

An alarm sounded. Loud and coming from the direction of the compound.

Both women took off in the direction of the noise, heading straight through the woods and into a small group of walkers. The pair quickly dispatched with the undead, but they had drawn unwanted attention.

A man cam running out of the trees, aiming a gun at Maggie’s back. Byrdie reacted as quickly as she could. Taking aim with her side arm and shooting the man in the shoulder. Maggie aimed to finish the job.

“Maggie, let’s just go.” Byrdie called.  
“No, it needs to be done.” Maggie replied.

But the man wasn’t alone. A thin woman, not tall, but taller than Byrdie stepped up beside her putting the barrel of a pistol to her head. 

“Freeze, or she dies.” The woman said. 

Maggie looked up, and straight down the barrel of another hand gun. 

“Weapons on the ground. Now.” The woman said. 

Both Maggie and Byrdie easily complied. Their hands were bound with rope and the pair were lead through the woods toward the compound. Byrdie had known things would go this way. As the sun came over the horizon they approached a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. It enclosed a yard around the building the Saviors must have been using as a base.

Byrdie watched as Rick, Daryl, Michonne and the others walked out of the back entrance and into the yard. Scanning for anyone they may have missed. She watched Rick and Michonne have a small conversation at the gate, probably wondering if they got who they were after. Then she heard the rev of an engine and a man on a motorcycle came tearing around from the back dropping the bike in the yard. Daryl tackled the man, beating him, and Byrdie turned away. She didn’t want to witness the violence. 

“Shit. They’ve got Primo.” The woman said. “Give me the walkie.”  
“Lower your gun, dick.” She said into the walkie. “You, with the Colt Python.”

Byrdie turned back to the scene as Daryl stood up. He, Rick, and Glenn all had their weapons pointed at the guy Daryl had tackled. 

“All of you. Lower your weapons, now.”

There was a crack and pop over the walkie, then Rick’s voice.

“Come on out. We can talk.”

“How many are there?” Another woman asked.  
“Eight I can see.” The first answered.  
“We can take ‘em. We took more.” The man chimed in.  
“Not coming out, but we can talk.” The woman said into the walkie. “Names.” She said looking over at them.  
“I’m Maggie, She’s Byrdie.” Maggie supplied.  
“We’ve got a Byrdie and Maggie. I’m thinking you’d like to chat about that.” The woman said into the walkie.

Byrdie could see the tension build in Glenn and Daryl with the strangers words. They looked at each other and without saying a thing hoisted the man to his feet. Daryl bracing him by the back of his neck and both men training their weapons on his head.

“We’ve got one of yours. We’ll trade.” Rick’s words came cracking through the walkie. “But first I wanna talk to Maggie and Byrdie. Make sure they’re alright.”  
“You say you’re fine, nothing else.” The woman instructed, bringing the walkie over to where the two stood.

“Rick, it’s Byrdie. We’re fine.”   
“Rick, it’s Maggie. We’re both ok, We’ll figure this out.”   
“You have you’re proof.” The woman said.

The walkie cracked and popped again as Rick spoke.  
“Here’s the deal. You let ‘em go and you have your guy and live.”  
“Two for one. Not a very good deal.” The woman answered.  
“Seems to me you don’t have another choice, or you’d a made it by now.” Rick answered.

“Make the deal, Paula.” The man said. “I need him to patch me up, thanks to this bitch.”   
“It’s a fair trade.” Came Rick’s voice. “We do this, we all walk away. Do we have a deal?”  
“I’ll get back to you.” Paula answered.

As she spoke one of the other woman pulled Maggie and Byrdie’s jackets up over their heads to shield their view and began leading them away. As they walked through the woods Byrdie tried to leave deliberate footprints for Daryl to follow, but once they loaded them in a car she knew she couldn’t help him anymore. She still trusted him to find her. 

Byrdie was unsure of how far they drove. Paula kept changing up the speed to make distance difficult to judge. But when they finally stopped her and Maggie where hauled out, their jackets removed from their heads, and hauled inside what used to be a slaughter house. 

They were sat on opposite sides of a room, hands bound with tape, gagged and left alone while the group cleared the rest of the building. As soon as they were alone both woman started looking for something, anything to cut through the tape. Maggie settled for scrapping hers against a brick corner, while Byrdie picked up what looked like a sharp rock and began trying to cut hers from between her hands. 

The small group of Saviors returned, complaining about the place being out of supplies and full of the dead, but the two woman paid them no notice. They both absorbed in finding a way out of here. After the woman finished re-bandaging the man Byrdie shot earlier the heavier set woman came over and removed both their gags. Byrdie flinched a little with the rough yank the woman used.

“You’re a nervous little bird, ain’t ya?” She said, more of a statement, than a question.  
“How did you make it this far?” The other one asked.  
“What are you afraid of?” Paula finally asked. “You can’t actually be afraid to die?”  
“No. I’m not afraid of anything that happens to me.” Byrdie answered.   
“That so, little bird.” Paula asked.  
“I’ve survived much worse than this.” Was all Byrdie offered in response. She wasn’t about to go into her life story with this woman. Tell her how there was nothing she could do to her more terrifying than what her own husband had done before the world went to shit. Nothing she could do worse than what the Claimers had done to her before Daryl found her. Nothing she could do worse than loosing her daughters before she got to take her first breath. 

Paula huffed and walked out of the room. Frustrated she was unable to rattle the younger woman.

**************************************************

Byrdie was unsure of how long the five of them sat in the small room waiting on Paula to return. But at some point the man she shot started screaming, causing Paula to rush back in an try to attend to him. 

“My arm feels like it’s on fire.” He screamed, pulling at the bandages.  
“You pull that off, you’ll dead in no time.” The woman they learned was Molls said.  
“Just hold on.” Paula said. “The scouts are coming, be here in thirty minutes, maybe less.”  
“He doesn’t have thirty minutes.” Maggie said. “His nerves are dying. He doesn’t get help soon he’s gonna loose his arm, maybe his life.”   
“You think your man, Primo can help?” Maggie asked. “Then it’s time to end this.”  
“Talk to Rick.” Maggie said.

Paula did nothing, just tightened the wrap.

“Ya know my problem?” He said, getting up and walking over to Byrdie. “It’s her. She did this to me and she’s just sitting there. Right as rain and fully intact.”  
“Stop” Paula said.  
“No. We ain’t gonna make a trade. I’m do ‘em both, right here right now.” He said.  
“No. We wait. We have to be smart and get insurance.” Paula said.  
“Them shoot her in the arm too.” He said, pointing to Byrdie with his good hand.  
“Noooo.” Paula replied with a small laugh.  
“You really gonna stick up for some bitch over me?” He asked.

The man stood in front of Byrdie before attempting a swing at her head. 

“Leaver her alone.” Maggie shouted, reaching out with her foot to knock him down. He got up, grabbing Maggie by the hair and pulling her with him. Maggie head butted him back in Byrdie knocking her on her side. When he got up he began kicking Byrdie in the back and sides, calling her every name he could think of, until Paula came up behind him and ran a knife through base of his skull killing him. 

“You two really are stupid.” Paula said.   
“Take her out, find out what she knows.” Paula said, indicating Maggie.   
“And get rid of him.” She said to Molls.

Once they were alone Paula sat down in front of her. 

“I see exactly who you are, Byrd.” She said. “You’re pathetic.”

She stood up as the walkie cracked to life, Rick’s voice coming over the waves.

“Talk to me.” Was all he said.  
“You weren’t listening. I said I would contact you.” Paula replied.  
“Would it help if I said I was sorry.” Rick said.  
“What do you think?” She asked.  
“I think you’ll make the trade. I just need to know when and where.” Rick answered.  
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet.” Paula said.  
“You will.” Rick said, before cutting the line off.

“You don’t have to do this.” Byrdie said after the line went dead.  
“Your people killed all of my people.” Paula replied.  
“Really. We didn’t want to.” Byrdie said.  
“But you did. Why?” Paula asked, hoping to get some information out of her.   
“Your people ambushed my people on the road. Tried to kill us, take everything we had.” Byrdie answered.  
“Fair enough. But if I remember your people blew them up on the road. Killed of them. Why not stop?” Paula asked, still fishing.  
“They said they were working for Negan.” Byrdie replied.  
“And what do you think you know about Negan?” Paula asked.  
“Nothing. Jut knew we had to stop him.” Byrdie replied, getting nothing in response from Paula.

“I was a secretary.” Paula said after a while. “Before.” 

Byrdie tuned in and out, as Paula gave her life story. Trying to sound sympathetic and hard simultaneously. Byrdie really didn’t care much what the woman was like before. 

“You’re the one who’s afraid to die.” Byrdie said when she finished.  
“What?”  
“You’re afraid to die. It why you do the things you do. But you’re going to.” Byrdie answered.

Paula picked up the walkie and stared at Byrdie.  
“Asshole? Are you there?” She said into the speaker.  
“I’m here.” Came Rick’s reply, clearer this time.  
“I’ve thought about it. There’s a large field about ten miles down sixty-six with a sign says ‘God is Dead’. We’ll meet you there in ten minutes to trade.” Paula said.  
“We’ll be there.” Rick replied.

“No, that was too easy.” Paula said.  
“Maybe they’re just itching to get these two back.” Molls replied.  
“No, there was no static. They’re probably here already. They’re waiting to kill us as soon as we walk out those doors. It’s what we’d do.” Paula said, pacing the floor.  
“No.” Byrdie said. “You have to trust me. Rick is a man of his word. He wouldn’t put me or Maggie at risk just to attack.”

Paula switched channels on the walkie and talked to the other Saviors she was waiting on. She cut the radio off and grabbed her bag. 

“Leave them here, we have to check the place out before we go. If those dicks aren’t here we’ll pick them off at the field.” Paula said waking out of the room with Molls on her heals.

Once she was alone, Byrdie finished cutting through her restraints and quietly made her way out of the room and down the hall., checking rooms until she found Maggie. 

“They’re spread out, but they’re leaving. We can make it past them.” Byrdie said, embracing Maggie.  
“We can’t leave them alive, Byrd. You know that. We have to finish this.” Maggie said.

The two women made their way back to the original room they were held in and waited for one of the others to return. Molls soon came thumping down the hallway and Byrdie braced herself.

“Where’d ya go little bird?” Molls said, stepping into the room to find it empty save the slowly turning dead body on the floor. 

Maggie lunged at her from behind, sinking a knife into her abdomen and tackling her to the floor, where she cut her throat and left the body to turn. They two took off quickly to hide and wait for Paula to return, they still had one more to take out. 

They found a group of walkers corralled at the end of a hallway. Obviously being used to block the entrance. As they stood there gun shoots rang out down the walls, hitting two of the dead, but missing Maggie and Byrdie as they ducked.

“Just run.” Byrdie said, leaving her weapon at Paula.  
“Go on, do it.” Paula said.  
“Shoot her.” Maggie said.  
“You’ve killed everyone else. Destroyed my home. Go ahead, I’ve already lost everything else.” Paula said.  
“Byrdie shoot her.” Maggie insisted.

They heard the third woman call for Paula and Molls down the hallway and Maggie off to finish her, leaving Byrdie to handle Paula on her own. Byrdie shot Paula in the gut and took off after Maggie, coming around the corner just as the woman swiped at Maggie’s stomach with her knife. Without hesitation Byrdie raised her weapon and shot the woman in the head. 

They heard laughter echo through the silence. 

“Byrdie turned back around the corner to find Paula still alive, sitting on the floor. 

“If you can do all this, what are you afraid of?” Paula asked, getting to her feet.   
“This.” Byrdie said, leveling her gun at Paula.

Paula lunged for Byrdie, knocking her weapon away. The pair struggled in the hallway for a moment before Byrdie pushed Paula back onto a broken pipe. A walker taking a chunk out of her throat as she did so. 

**************************************************

Maggie and Byrdie sat on the concrete waiting. They had flooded the kill room of the slaughter house with gasoline and told Paula’s people to meet them there. 

As they sat they heard footsteps, followed by two male voices make there way through the halls. Once they were all in the room, Byrdie quickly got up. She opened Molls lighter and dropped it on the floor slamming the door shut. They both tried to block out the screams of people burning alive. 

After regaining their composure they made their way toward the front entrance. Carefully avoided skewered dead on the way. As they approached the door swung open and both woman raised their weapons in defense. But on the other side was Glenn. And in a blink he was wrapping Maggie in his arms. 

“Hey, Byrd look at me?” She heard someone say. 

Byrdie turned to find Daryl in her space. 

“I found a trail. Did you leave it?” He asked.  
She only nodded in response.  
“You start the fire too?” He asked.  
Again she only nodded.  
“You alright?”   
“No.” Byrdie said, finding her words.  
“Come here, Byrd.” Daryl said, wrapping his arms around her and placing a soft kiss on her hair.

She could vaguely hear Rick talking with the one Paula had called Primo. But Daryl and Glenn were dragging her an Maggie out of the building. And honestly all she cared about at the moment was the warm safety of his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for ready. I've only got a couple more chapters to finish this up.


	5. Chapter 5

Byrdie sat on the front steps of the shared house. She was absorbed in what had happened with the Saviors. On one hand she knew the deal. Knew what they had agreed to. But on the other hand she was devastated no one seemed to want to try another way. She was right. They lost something. Maybe no one else noticed. Maybe they thought it was already gone. But Byrdie could still see the blood on her hands. There was no innocence left in Alexandria.

Daryl came up from down street, pushing his bike. He stopped in front of their house and put the kickstand down, sitting on the steps next to her. 

“What’cha thinking’?” He asked.  
“You got it back.” She replied with a small smile.  
“Yeah.” He said, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. 

The rest of the conversation unspoken. They both knew what was going through the others head. Byrdie kissed his cheek and got up, walking off to start her day.

“Hey.” He called after her. She stopped and turned to look at him.   
“The ones who took you?” He asked. “You wanna tell me what they did to you?”  
“Nothing.” She said, sadness lacing he words. “They didn’t do anything to us.”

Daryl watched her walk away. She was breaking again and he could see it. Knew he was partly the reason this time. He would find a way to fix her. 

**************************************************

Byrdie had been helping Denise frequently as of late. She was beginning to like medicine, and despite her protesting, Denise was a wonderful teacher. She made her way over to the medical house, hoping the other woman had something she could do this morning to take her mind off things. Before she could even knock though the woman in question opened the door wide, smiling.

“Byrdie.” She said. “Just who I was hoping to see.”  
“I was hoping you’d need my help today. Don’t think I can be idle right now.” Byrdie said.  
“Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor.” Denise replied.   
“Sure. Anything.” Byrdie answered.  
“On my way down here from D.C. I found an apothecary. I was thinking maybe you and Daryl could help me check it out.” Denise asked.   
“I’d love to. Honestly, anything to get out of this place right now.” Byrdie answered. “I can’t say Daryl will go for it, but we can probably convince him.”  
“If anyone can, you can.” Denise said. 

**************************************************

The two eventually found Daryl outside the armory. Byrdie walked up to him and stood up on her toes to give him a kiss. 

“What’d you want?” He said before she was even back on her heels again.  
“Denis has a question for you.” Byrdie answered.   
“On my way down here from D.C., just when I was completely lost, I saw something.” She said.  
Daryl just nodded for her to continue.   
“Edison’s apothecary. It was just this little hole in a wall inside a strip mall. But if was really an apothecary, they had drugs.” She said.  
“How do ya know it ain’t cleaned out?” He asked.  
“It isn’t far. I was just thinking we could check. It won’t take more than half a day.” Denise said.  
“If it said apothecary and not pharmacy, not many people would think to scavenge there for meds.” Byrdie chimed in. “Even if they did, an apothecary might have some non traditional medicines people wouldn’t have thought to take.”  
“It ain’t worth it. Not for some herbs, we might not even be able to use.” Daryl said.  
“Alright. Then we’ll go.” Byrdie said, taking Denise by the arm and leading her away.  
“Nuh uh.” Daryl said chasing after them.  
“She’s not spent any real time out there.” He said when they stopped and turned around. “You’ll die out there.”  
“That’s why we’re asking you to come along.” Byrdie said.  
“Damn it.” Daryl said, walking off toward the cars. “You comin’” He hollered back when the two didn’t follow him. 

**************************************************

Daryl pulled the old truck to a stop in front of a tree which had fallen across the road. The three filed out and walked over to asses the damage, the groans of the undead coming from amongst the branches. 

“I got this.” Byrdie said. 

Daryl nodded and stepped into the woods to clear the perimeter.

Byrdie pulled back some branches. It was fairly obvious the tree fell on it own. From the scorch marks running the braches most likely via lightning. There was only one living corpse trapped beneath the trunk and she quickly took it out with her knife. When Daryl returned he eyed the situation. 

“It happened quick. The tree fell on its own.” she said. “It wasn’t people.” She clarified.   
Daryl again just nodded before walking around the large trunk.  
“Can’t move it. We’ll havta go around.” He finally said, going back to the truck to retrieve their supplies.

Denise stared at her map a moment while Daryl and Byrdie loaded up. 

“It looks like a straight shot if we take the tracks.” Denise said.  
“No, no tracks.” Daryl said, making his way around the tree. “We take the road.”  
“That’s twice are far, Daryl!” Byrdie shouted, but he didn’t listen. Just kept on walking.   
“We should stick together.” Denise said before following him down the road.  
“Asshole.” Byrdie muttered under her breath before turning to follow the rail into town.

The tracks where empty. And much faster. When Byrdie got to the intersection she knew Daryl was after in town she sat down and waited for them. It took longer than she expected and she was beginning to think the worst. Just as she was thinking of heading back to Alexandria to get Rick she saw the pair come around the tree lined corner. Daryl didn’t say a word to her as she stood up and joined him again on the road. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daryl quickly became aware Byrdie hadn’t followed him down the road. He ignored Denise in favor of going inside his head and worrying about his girl. He should have just taken the tracks. They probably were faster. And if he was with her and she got into any trouble. Gods, he didn’t want to think about that. She was strong now. Much stronger than when he had first met her. She would be fine. Why the hell was this taking so long. He saw the red and white railroad blocks up ahead. Please let her be there he thought. Daryl breathed a sigh of relief when she stood up form the gravel and joined them. He quickly grabbed her hand as she caught up to him.

**************************************************

It wasn’t far from the track to the strip mall holding the apothecary. Byrdie looked around at the abandoned place and tried to imagine it a few years ago before everything went to hell. There towards the end of the row she saw it. Edison’s Apothecary. The trio made their way across the parking lot and Daryl wrapped three times on the glass doors. No sound came from inside. That was a good sign.

“Alright.” He said, taking a pry bar from his bag. “I’m gonna clear this place, you two stay out here.”

Neither of them listened, following Daryl inside the store. The store was empty and all three of them spread out, looking for anything useful beyond what they came here for. Byrdie found the pharmacy first, and she and Denise hopped over the counter to start clearing off shelves. Daryl was fiddling with a counter toward the front. Byrdie couldn’t figure out why, none of them seem to hold anything more than trinkets, nothing useful. 

As Byrdie was clearing off the back shelves of antibiotics and pain killers Denise shouted she had found a door and was gonna check it for controlled drugs. A short while later Denise ran out of the small room in a panic and straight out of the building. Having finished taking anything valuable, Byrdie jumped back over the counter and went after her, but Daryl grabbed her around the waist effectively stopping her. 

“She just needs a minute.” He said. “Come here. Wanna show you something anyway.”

He drug her over to the counter he had been fussing with earlier. Somehow he had managed to pop the lock on the case and open it instead of just smashing the glass. The case itself held jewelry, mostly rings of a variety of gems. Byrdie reached in and grabbed a particularly beautiful silver ring with a teardrop shaped turquoise in it. 

“You like that one?” He asked.  
“Well, they’re all beautiful.” She said.  
“But you like that one best?” He asked again.

Byrdie looked back in the case and at the one in her hands again. 

“Yeah. I’ve always liked turquoise. But why does it matter?” She asked.

Daryl closed her hands over the ring and kissed her fingers. 

“I love ya, Byrd. And I know I’mma dick sometimes. But, if you’ll have me, I think I wanna settle down.” He said.

She just smiled in response and leaned up to kiss him deeply. 

“Of course, I’ll have you.” She answered. 

Daryl took the ring from her hands and carefully slid it on the ring finger of her left hand.

**************************************************

On the walk back through town Daryl talked to Denise about her late twin brother, Denis of all things. Byrdie wandered a little ahead of them, listening, but not intruding on their conversation. When they finally got to the rail tracks Byrdie kept on walking, but Daryl stopped. 

“This ways faster, right?” He said pointing down the line.  
“Yeah.” Byrdie replied with a smile, stepping up next to him.

He took her hand and the two of them walked in front down the tracks, Denise trailing close behind. That is until she spotted a lot of abandoned cars and walked over to check them out. 

“There’s a cooler in this one.” Denise shouted. “It might have something useful inside.”  
“Not worth the trouble.” Daryl shouted back.

The two of them turned and continued down the tracks. 

“Daryl wait.” Byrdie said, stopping him when she didn’t hear Denise’s footsteps pick back up on the gravel.

As they turned around they saw her on the ground. A walker beneath her trying to grab her body and pull its meal down. 

“No!” She shouted as they ran up.

She pulled her knife out and sank into the corpses skull. Taking a shaky breath Denise stood up and retrieved the cooler from the car. Opening it an producing two cans of soda still attached to the plastic six pack ring. 

“The hell was that?” Daryl asked, anger building in his words. “You coulda died doin’ that.”  
“And you could of died killing those Saviors. Both of you.” She yelled back.  
“But it was worth it. You wanna live, you have to take chances.” She said, calming down a little. “And that’s what I did.”  
“For a couple a soda’s?” He asked.  
“Yep.” Denise said, heading back to the tracks and carrying the two-thirds empty six pack in her hand.

“Did you seriously just do that?” Byrdie asked joining her on the tracks. 

Denise stepped off the track again and turned to face the two of them. Looking up at them a little from where the gravel slopped away from the line beneath her feet. 

“Do either of you have any clue what that was to me?” She asked, exasperated.   
“I actually have training in this shit.” She continued. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I do. I’m not making up as I go like with the medicine.”  
“I wanted you to come” She said pointing to Daryl. “Because you remind me of my brother and sometimes you actually make me safe.”  
“And I wanted you to come” She said looking over to Byrdie. “Because you’re stronger than you think, which makes think maybe some day I can be too.”  
“Tara told me she loves me, and I didn’t say it back.” She continued. “Because I was scared. And that’s what’s stupid. Being afraid. I came out here with you two because you aren’t afraid, and I was hoping that you both could help me face my shit. Because you’re both strong, and smart and really good people and . . .”

There was twang sound to Daryl’s left and Denise stopped talking.

“Dar . . .” he heard before Byrdie dropped to the ground at his feet. One of his own arrows speared through her curls. 

He spun around, lifting his rifle in the direction the arrow came from just as a group of men came out of the woods, weapons drawn on him and Denise. They had Eugene, tied and were forcing him to his knees. 

“Drop the weapons.” He vaguely heard someone shout. He didn’t really know what was going on. He felt like his heart had stopped beating in his chest. He couldn’t breath. There was something huge stuck in his throat he couldn’t swallow. Then he saw it. His bow. In the hands of the man he knew he should have killed in the burned out forest. Daryl dropped his rifle unceremoniously and fell to his knees, scooping up Byrdie and holding her in his lap.

The man was talking. Daryl thought the questions might have been directed at him, but he couldn’t hear anything through the pounding in his ears. 

“I shoulda done it.” Daryl finally said, not caring if he was interrupting anything.  
“What was that?” The man asked.  
“I shoulda killed ya.” Daryl said, getting up and looking the man square in the eye.  
“Ya probably should have.” He answered “Now here we are. Begs the questions though, who brought this on who? Now I get you’ll just have to take my word for it, but I wasn’t even aiming for her. Thing kicks like a bitch.” The man finished, holding up Daryl’s bow.

Rage began building in Daryl’s blood. The man, Dwight, he barely caught his name before sound blacked out again, started a conversation with Rosita. Daryl missed it. Missed everything happening around him. All he could think was this asshole. This asshole he was going to bring back home with him. This asshole he should have killed. He took the most precious thing in the world from him, and Daryl was going to kill him for it. 

Gun fire broke out around him and Daryl reacted on instinct, taking out as many as he could. As the group ran, overwhelmed, Daryl took off after them. He was halfway through the field before Abraham caught up to him and tackled him. Where the hell had he come from. 

“Not now man, we’ll get ‘em. But right now we gotta take care of your girl.” Abraham said, wrestling him to a standing position. 

Silently Daryl let himself be led back to the tracks where Rosita and Eugene were carefully placing Byrdie in the backseat of a car they found which could still run. He crawled in the backseat as well and placed her head in his lap, gently running his hand over her curls. He couldn’t help but notice her left hand placed neatly over her abdomen, the shinning turquoise standing out against her fair skin. 

**************************************************

Daryl had done it all by himself. Dug the hole. Made the marker. Cleaned her up and wrapped her in a fresh white sheet. He going to finish by himself too. 

“Do you want help?” Carol asked, walking up to other side of the grave, shovel in hand.  
“No.” Was all he said, before continuing his task.

He finished covering his girl in the soft Virginia soil and situated the marker he had made for her. He stuck his hand in his pocket, playing with the ring he had taken off her finger and looked over his work. He choked back his rage as he read what he had written. Byrdie Dixon.

He was gonna kill Dwight.


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl sat on his bike staring at the gates. He was playing with Byrdie’s ring, strung on a piece of leather around his neck. He was going to kill Dwight. He should have done it to begin with, and he lost her because of it. He was going to finish it now. He walked over to the gate and pulled it open. 

“The hell are you going?” Rosita asked, from her position on guard.  
“Out” Daryl replied, getting back on his bike.  
“No shit.” Abraham said. “You got specifics.”

Daryl didn’t answer, just fired up his bike and took off. 

He lost himself in the quite of the road and the rumble of his engine. He had no idea where to find Dwight. But he was a good tracker and he knew where to start. He could make it to the tracks in an hour. 

It was easy to find where the scuffle had taken place. Byrdie’s blood still stained the gravel and ties where she fell. He knelt down next to the spot and ran his hand over the dried, now red, stones. He missed her. He felt himself start to cry a little. No. He didn’t have time for this. He swallowed down the sob and channeled the pain of it into his anger. He had to finish this. He had to do it for her. 

Daryl stood up and walked over to the edge of the field they took off through. It had been a day, but the tall grass was still slightly bent where they ran through it. It gave him something to follow and he did, heading toward the tree line. 

He heard something snap in the trees and without hesitating he raised his newly returned bow and fired an arrow at the sound. It plunged into a tree as Denise stepped out of the way.

“Watch out, asshole.” She said, pulling his arrow from the tree.  
“Yeah, I did.” He retorted, yanking the arrow from her hands. “You shouldn’t a followed me.”  
“You shouldn’t have left.” Michonne said stepping from the tree line, Glenn behind her.  
“That man was in that burnt forest with them girls.” Daryl yelled, getting the three of their faces. “He put a gun to ma head. Tied me up. And I was gonna help him.”

Daryl took back off into the woods as he finished.

“So think it’s your fault she died?” Glenn asked to his retreating back.  
“I know it is.” Daryl said getting back in Glenn’s face. “Now I’m gonna do what I shoulda done in the first place.”  
“What? For her?” Glenn called to Daryl’s once again retreating back.

Daryl stopped. Dropped his bow to his side and hung his head, trying to calm the pain in his chest from Glenn’s words.

“Man, she’s gone. You’re doing this you.” Glenn said.  
“I don’t give a shit.” Daryl said before walking off again.  
“Daryl!” Glenn said, cutting him off. “We need to go home and figure this out the right way. We need you. It’s gonna go wrong like this.”  
“We’ll square it.” Michonne said, coming up beside the pair. “I promise you.”  
“I can’t.” Daryl said, taking off into the trees again.

He heard Glenn shout after him again, but he ignored it. They didn’t understand. She was his world. He couldn’t let this go. Not for an hour, or day, or a week. Or however fucking long Rick took to figure out what they were gonna do. He messed up by not killing Dwight. And now his Byrd was dead because of his fuck up. He had to finish this. On his own. Now. 

It wasn’t long before he heard the calls. They were close, but how close. Daryl stopped and checked his surroundings. He was alone. He was sure of that. Then another call came. And another. They were a small distance away from him. Back in the direction of the tracks. Shit. He turned around and followed the sound as quietly as he could. Keeping himself hidden by the trees.

The group was around a small fire. Glenn, Michonne, and Denise were gagged and tied to a tree together. He counted five. Six if Dwight was there, which he was pretty sure the asshole was somewhere. He could easily take out three with his bow from where he sat, crouched behind a tree. If he cut Glenn and Michonne loose they could get the other two while he looked for Dwight. 

Daryl raised his bow and aimed at the man sitting closest to them and tending the fire, but Glenn shook his head no. What the hell did he mean, no.

“Hi Daryl.” He heard Dwight say from behind him.

He heard the click of a gun being cocked and turned to look at the man behind him. Before he could though he heard the bang. Felt hot lightning run through his veins. And then his world was silent and dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I always knew their story would end this way. When this season finsihed the way it did it just seemed like such a beautiul way for them to have forever together.

**Author's Note:**

> Love of mine, some day you will die  
> But I'll be close behind  
> I'll follow you into the dark  
> No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
> Just our hands clasped so tight  
> Waiting for the hint of a spark
> 
> If Heaven and Hell decide  
> That they both are satisfied  
> Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs  
> If there's no one beside you  
> When your soul embarks  
> Then I'll follow you into the dark
> 
> In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule  
> I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black  
> And I held my tongue as she told me,  
> "Son, fear is the heart of love."  
> So I never went back
> 
> If Heaven and Hell decide  
> That they both are satisfied  
> Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs  
> If there's no one beside you  
> When your soul embarks  
> Then I'll follow you into the dark
> 
> You and me have seen everything to see  
> From Bangkok to Calgary  
> And the soles of your shoes are all worn down  
> The time for sleep is now  
> It's nothing to cry about  
> 'Cause we'll hold each other soon  
> In the blackest of rooms
> 
> If Heaven and Hell decide  
> That they both are satisfied  
> Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs  
> If there's no one beside you  
> When your soul embarks  
> Then I'll follow you into the dark


End file.
